“Go With the Flow and Move With Times”

It is a common statement for people who procrastinate in following the sunnah and shariah in their every day lives to say, “man, just go with the flow of society” and, “when in Rome, do as the Romans do…”Hazrat Thanwi (rahmatullahi alaihi) in his malfoozat speaks about this saying:

“Judge Akbar Ilahabadi who was a very wise man made a wonderful statement. He said: The (commonly misused) statement: “We should move with the times“, is absurd.

The “times” actually refer to our collective actions which are under our own control. How then should we become subservient to these (immoral “norms” and fashions of society)?”

Our beloved Shaikh, Hazrat Maulana Shah Hakeem Muhammad Akhtar Saheb commenting on this malfooz says, “Zamaana kya cheez hay? What is this “time” and “norms” of society that people are talking about so much?

Should I tell you about time?

The times are subservient to us, and not vice versa. We are the slaves and servants of Allah, and not the slaves of society.

The society is made up of our good deeds and or immoral actions, thus it is actually we who make or break the society. If even one individual were to endeavour to practice the shariah and sunnah and bring it into his life, then in fact this one individual would be reviving and contributing to these “times”.

“Time” is always the same, it is actually the individuals who change that bring change in the society and in the “times”. Thus no believer should give up the deen or the sunnah out of subservience to the times.”

Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, “He who revives one sunnah at the time of mischief (and social immorality), he will be given the reward of one hundred martyrs.”

This hadith shows that the virtue of a true believer is in going against the immorality of the “times” not with them!